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Aaron

⁶ He exalted Aaron, a holy man like Moses^*
   who was his brother, of the tribe of Levi.
⁷ He made an everlasting covenant with him,
   and gave him the priesthood of the people.
He blessed him with stateliness,
   and put a glorious robe on him.
⁸ He clothed him in perfect splendour,
   and strengthened him with the symbols of authority,
   the linen undergarments, the long robe, and the ephod.
⁹ And he encircled him with pomegranates,
   with many golden bells all round,
to send forth a sound as he walked,
   to make their ringing heard in the temple
   as a reminder to his people;
¹⁰ with the sacred vestment, of gold and violet
   and purple, the work of an embroiderer;
with the oracle of judgement, Urim and Thummim;
¹¹   with twisted crimson, the work of an artisan;
with precious stones engraved like seals,
   in a setting of gold, the work of a jeweller,
to commemorate in engraved letters
   each of the tribes of Israel;
¹² with a gold crown upon his turban,
   inscribed like a seal with ‘Holiness’,
a distinction to be prized, the work of an expert,
   a delight to the eyes, richly adorned.
¹³ Before him such beautiful things did not exist.
   No outsider ever put them on,
but only his sons
   and his descendants in perpetuity.
¹⁴ His sacrifices shall be wholly burned
   twice every day continually.
¹⁵ Moses ordained him,
   and anointed him with holy oil;
it was an everlasting covenant for him
   and for his descendants as long as the heavens endure,
to minister to the Lord^* and serve as priest
   and bless his people in his name.
¹⁶ He chose him out of all the living
   to offer sacrifice to the Lord,
incense and a pleasing odour as a memorial portion,
   to make atonement for the^* people.

Another Dream

² I slept, but my heart was awake.
Listen! my beloved is knocking.
‘Open to me, my sister, my love,
   my dove, my perfect one;
for my head is wet with dew,
   my locks with the drops of the night.’
³ I had put off my garment;
   how could I put it on again?
I had bathed my feet;
   how could I soil them?
⁴ My beloved thrust his hand into the opening,
   and my inmost being yearned for him.
⁵ I arose to open to my beloved,
   and my hands dripped with myrrh,
my fingers with liquid myrrh,
   upon the handles of the bolt.
⁶ I opened to my beloved,
   but my beloved had turned and was gone.
My soul failed me when he spoke.
I sought him, but did not find him;
   I called him, but he gave no answer.
⁷ Making their rounds in the city
   the sentinels found me;
they beat me, they wounded me,
   they took away my mantle,
   those sentinels of the walls.
⁸ I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
   if you find my beloved,
tell him this:
   I am faint with love.

6Where has your beloved gone,
   O fairest among women?
Which way has your beloved turned,
   that we may seek him with you?

² My beloved has gone down to his garden,
   to the beds of spices,
to pasture his flock in the gardens,
   and to gather lilies.
³ I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine;
   he pastures his flock among the lilies.